Optimized sagd well placement utilizing temperature and electromagnetic measurements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016168977-A1
Application number	US-201414888212-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 16, 2014
Priority date	Jul 16, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for optimizing placement of a second wellbore relative to a first wellbore utilizing i) steam injected into the first wellbore in combination with a temperature sensor located in the second wellbore and ii) electromagnetic (EM) fields emanating from the first wellbore in combination with an EM sensor in the second wellbore. The magnetic measurements made with the EM sensor are utilized to determine azimuthal placement of a wellbore, while temperature measurements made with the temperature sensor are utilized to determine distance for placement of the wellbore.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A method for drilling a wellbore comprising:
drilling a first wellbore in a formation; deploying a thermal source within the first wellbore; and drilling a second wellbore by adjusting the trajectory of the second wellbore based on the thermal source.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the trajectory of the second wellbore comprises measuring a temperature in the second wellbore and utilizing the temperature to adjust the distance between the wellbores so that the second wellbore at a select location along its length is within a desired temperature range.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
making an electromagnetic ranging measurement; determining an azimuth angle to target from the electromagnetic ranging measurement; and adjusting the trajectory of the second wellbore so that the second wellbore at a select location along its length is within a desired azimuthal range.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a distance from the electromagnetic ranging measurement; and adjusting the trajectory of the second wellbore at least in part based on the distance.

5 . The method of any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein deploying a thermal source comprises injecting steam in the first wellbores.

6 . The method of any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising establishing steam envelopes around each of the first and second wellbores.

7 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising drilling the second wellbore so as to have a varied distance to the first wellbore along at least a portion of the length of the second wellbore based on the measured temperature.

8 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising optimizing the placement of the second wellbore relative to the first wellbore based on the thermal characteristic.

9 . The method of any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising:
generating a magnetic field from the first wellbore;
measuring the magnetic field at the second wellbore;
based on the measured magnetic field, identifying an azimuth angle between the wellbores, the range comprising a lateral component and a vertical component;
adjusting the second wellbore drilling trajectory path laterally based upon the magnetic measurement; and
adjusting the second wellbore drilling trajectory path vertically based upon the temperature measurement.

10 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising altering the spacing between the first and second wellbores based on the temperature.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
adjusting the trajectory of the second wellbore so as to have a first distance from the first wellbore at a first location and a second distance from the first wellbore at a second location spaced apart from the first location, where the first distance is different than the second distance.

12 . A wellbore placement method comprising:
determining a magnetic characteristic between a first wellbore and a second wellbore; determining a thermal characteristic between the first and second wellbore; utilizing the magnetic characteristic to determine an azimuth angle between the first and second wellbores; and utilizing the thermal characteristic to select a distance between the two wellbores.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
drilling a first wellbore; deploying a thermal source in the first wellbore; initiating drilling of the second wellbore; generating a magnetic field from the first wellbore; utilizing an EM sensor in the second wellbore to measure the magnetic field; and utilizing a temperature sensor in the second wellbore to measure a temperature.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising utilizing the measured temperature to estimate a formation temperature adjacent the second wellbore.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
prior to the steps of utilizing, suspending drilling of the second wellbore; based on the measured temperature, adjusting the trajectory of the second wellbore; and following adjustment of the trajectory, continuing drilling of the second wellbore.

16 . The method of any one of claims 1 - 4 , 7 - 8 , 10 - 15 , further comprising conducting advance recovery operations selected from the group consisting of SAGD, TAGD, THAI, VAPEX and fire flooding.

17 . A wellbore placement system comprising:
a first wellbore with an elongated conductive member disposed therein; a heat delivery system in communication with the first wellbore; a current injection system disposed to delivery current to the elongated conductive member; a second wellbore; an EM sensor disposed in the second wellbore; and a thermal sensor disposed in the second wellbore.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the heat delivery system comprises a source of steam.

19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the thermal sensor is a contact sensor.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the thermal sensor is carried on the distal end of an extendable mechanism.

21 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising an elongated housing disposed in the second wellbore and at least two thermal sensors spaced apart along the housing.

22 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising at least two magnetometers disposed in the second wellbore.

23 . The system of claim 17 further comprising an elongated housing disposed in the second wellbore and at least four thermal sensors uniformly spaced from one another about a perimeter of the housing.

24 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising a first array of thermal sensors, the first array comprising at least two thermal sensors uniformly spaced from one another about a perimeter of the housing.

25 . The system of claim 24 , further comprising a second array of thermal sensors, the second array comprising at least two thermal sensors uniformly spaced from one another about a perimeter of the housing and axially spaced apart from the first array.

26 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the EM sensor and thermal sensor are carried on a conveyance vehicle selected from the group consisting of wireline, slickline, coiled tubing or drill string.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Donderici Burkay
• Upshall Malcolm

Classifications

• E21B47/07

  Temperature · CPC title

• E21B47/022

  of the borehole, e.g. using geomagnetism · CPC title

• E21B47/024

  of devices in the borehole (determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022) · CPC title

• E21B43/2406

  Steam assisted gravity drainage [SAGD] · CPC title

• G01V3/20

  operating with propagation of electric current · CPC title